Conventional garment articles, such as disposable diapers and other disposable absorbent articles, have typically employed adhesive or mechanical fasteners which attach appointed waistband sections of the articles around a wearer. In addition, various configurations of waist elastics, leg elastics, elasticized liners, and elasticized outer covers have been employed on garment articles to help produce and maintain the fit of the articles about the body contours of the wearer.
The external surfaces of such disposable absorbent products may include a nonwoven fibrous material or a matte-finished film material. In some arrangements, pattern embossments have been formed into outward surface of the outer cover to provide a decorative pattern. Other disposable garments have had outer covers composed of elastomeric fabrics.
In particular configurations of disposable absorbent articles, inner elasticized waistband flaps have been incorporated along the bodyside surface of the article. The waistband, inner flap component can extend along a portion of the lateral width of the waistband section of the article, and may have a lateral extent which is equal to or greater than the lateral extent of the outer cover of the article.
In other configurations, the article may include an absorbent assembly attached to the inward surface of a relatively large waistband member. The waistband member is typically elasticized and disposed at one end of the absorbent assembly. The waistband member extends beyond the terminal edge of that end of the absorbent assembly, and also extends beyond the laterally opposed side edges of the absorbent assembly.
Conventional garment articles, such as those described above, have not provided desired levels of fit, absorbency, resistance to leakage, low cost and ease of manufacture. As a result, there has been a continued need for more effective garments having improved combinations of such properties.